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Monday, September 30, 2013

In the wake of all this great music coming out as October approaches, we have another band for you to add to your list of must hear bands. CATHEDRALS come to us from San Francisco with their debut single "Unbound". CATHEDRALS give us the soaring guitars of HAERTS' "Wings" mixed with the rock indie rock/pop feel of NONONO. Sprinkle Alt-J and Local Natives on top and you have a perfect song. CATHEDRALS have got everything going for them with "Unbound" and we can't wait to see where they go from here!

We wrote about Rasmus Faber's "Indian Summer" featuring Frida Sundemo, and it was one of the greatest Swedish collaborations we've ever heard. This last week, he dropped the full LP titled after the lead single. With this LP we get "We Own The Night" featuring Melo and there is so much we love about the song. First, we want to give props to Melo for the phenomenal bluesy vocals similar to Bruno Mars. Also, the song gives us this thumping beat that is still chill enough for those not so much in to EDM. Head over to Rasmus Faber's soundcloud page to listen to the full LP! You won't regret it.

Friday, September 27, 2013

The Chain Gang of 1974 gave us "Miko" this summer, their pumping song that makes makes you go insane, but they are back with "Sleepwalking" which is part of the music for Grand Theft Auto 5. Taking things down a little bit on this song, they give us the energy present on "Miko", but with a more chilled sound. We feel like these guys would have a great time collaborating with W∆NR with their sounds so similar. Get into your "state of dreaming" with The Chain Gang of 1974 and start dancing the night away.

Lovelife, our electronic warriors from LA, have been dropping music all throughout the summer ramping up for the release of their new EP Stateless. Giving us the electronic/rock sound of Swedish band The Royal Concept, they mix it with the perfectly complex lyrics of The Neighborhood. Not only does Lovelife has a quality of The Neighborhood, they are touring with them this fall. Along with touring with The Neighborhood, they will be gracing us with their presence at CMJ. In the mean time take a listen to Stateless by our heartbreak warriors Lovelife!

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Satellite Stories is giving us more music off of their upcoming album Pine Trails with their song "Lights Go Low". Satellite Stories remind us so much of all of our favorite bands. Think Smallpools and Passion Pit with a dash of Two Door Cinema Club sprinkled on top. This combinations thus gives us Satellite Stories perfect indie pop sound that we love. The delivery on this song is flawless with a chorus that makes you want to chant along to. Satellite Stories are doing shows in Europe currently, so we will just have to wait patiently for them to cross the Atlantic and infiltrate the U.S. with more Scandinavian goodness.

Charli XCX is back with new music today off of her upcoming sophomore album. First, we want to give props to her for releasing music so quickly since her debut album was just released this spring. Her new song SuperLove is energetic and sexy! It reminds of Gwen Stefani in her harajuku loving, solo career days mixed with the UK sound of Marina and the Diamonds. We loved her first album and with this new single we are 10x more excited to be hearing new music so soon from Charli. Way to go gurl!

If you're looking for that perfect summer jam to brighten your day with this cold autumn weather moving in on us then we have a the perfect song for you. We've been following Marlene ∞, from Sweden, ever since she dropped her single "Bon Voyage" in early August. "Bon Voyage" was absolutely part of our summer playlist and even going into this new season we still have so much love for it. The chill R&B feel mixed with the perfect electronic pop that Sweden is known for. Marlene's vocals are strong throughout the entire song clearly showing her ability to be a pop queen. You better be watching your radars for her. She's coming to the U.S. this fall to play some shows, so be on the look out for those.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Last week JD Samson dropped a new song last called "Making Art" via his band MEN. This electronic masterpiece has so many aspects of CHVRCHES and ASTR with the crazy synth production and the phenomenal vocals that fit perfectly with this pop creation. JD Samson created art with this song and we can't get enough. Check out more of MEN's music on their SoundCloud. You won't be disappointed.

We Are Scientists released their new single "Return The Favor" for their new EP coming this October. Listening to this we get an Alt-J and Local Native's vibe mixed with a hard rock feel mostly with the flawless guitar solo. We're expecting some greatness to come out of this new EP so keep an eye out.

Last night I attended MS MR's sold out show at Webster Hall. They performed with WET and Wildcat! Wildcat! as their openers.

The night opened with WET making an appearance and gracing us with music off of their EP that dropped yesterday via SoundCloud. WET's raw vocals accompanied by the electronic drums and electric guitar complimented on another perfectly. They gave us a great show, mostly focusing on the music aspect. All we can say is that you better be on the look out for WET in the coming months. This trio is going to be a pop powerhouse!

After WET finished up, Wildcat! Wildcat! came on to play a set. They played all of our favorites off of their latest EP including "Garden Grays". Their performance was phenomenal giving us the perfect falsettos that we clearly loved most about them, but also a great live production of each song. One thing that threw us off was what to expect Wildcat! Wildcat! to look like in real life. It was our first time seeing them live and we really haven't look at pictures of them before, but they threw us for a loop in a good way.

Finally, the moment I have been waiting months for, well really only a month and half since I saw them at Lollapalooza, MS MR came out. Killing us instantly with their hit "Bones", I knew that this was going to be one of MS MR's best shows yet. MS MR did all of our favorites, making us dance our hearts away and making us cry why they took things down on "BTSK". I can honestly say that MS MR is and forever will be my favorite band. Lizzy and Max put so much effort in giving a perfect show every time that nothing can go wrong. And when something does go wrong they play is off smoothly. Lizzy always looks fierce and last night she looked so great we honestly wanted to crown her pop goddess of the universe for eternity. Max was phenomenal, showing off his crazy dance moves throughout the night. I've seen MS MR six times live (and plan to see them many more times), my first being CMJ last year. I cannot believe how far these two have come in the last year. I knew from the moment I saw them at CMJ that they had what it takes to bring pop music into a much more creative light, and thus they did with their EP Candy Bar Creep Show and their debut LP Secondhand Rapture. I can honestly say that seeing these two come this far is so inspirational to everyone. They are perfect examples of what hard work can lead to. I probably cried so many times during their performance because it's artist like them that I love seeing making themselves a name in this industry. Way to go MS MR. You will forever and always will be my idols and my inspirations on everything I do with my career in the music industry and I thank you for that.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

The perfect falsetto. That's what we instantly think of when we hear Great Good Fine Ok's "You're The One For Me. Great Good Fine Ok captures a perfect electronic sound mixed with the indie rock sounds of Brooklyn. Something about them reminds us so much of Panama Wedding, yet still different enough that makes us think of them so much differently. This Brooklyn band has got a hit on their hands and we can't wait to see what else they have cooked up for us in the coming months.

We are late to hoping on this train, but now we are on the ride with Body Language and their song "Just Because". Giving us this the funky vibes of Two Door Cinema Club, we get this cool feeling that Phoenix gives us in their "Trying To Be Cool". Imagine a modern sock hop. A bunch of hipsters jamming out to some funky sounds that only make you want to dance more as you listen. Sit down and take a listen to Body Language and prepare to dance.

St. Lucia has been spoiling us with some amazing music recently with their single "Elevate" and "Too Close" and now with their remix of Atlas Genius's "Centered On You". Giving us the the smooth sounds similar to Icona Pop's "In The Stars (Galaxy Remix", we find hints of the Brooklyn band Little Daylight throughout the first half of this remix. The second half brings us the epic beat drop which St. Lucia is known for giving us the buildup we need to get crazy. We typically aren't crazy about remixes, but St. Lucia always does a phenomenal job remixing any artist and we thank them for that. St. Lucia is touring this fall with Two Door Cinema club with numerous shows in NYC. They also are dropping their highly anticipated, debut album via Neon Gold Records on October 8th!

MØ has been teasing us with new stuff all year and finally she announced today that she will be dropping her new EP along with a new song called "Never Wanna Know". Unlike her other angsty sounding stuff, MØ gives us this 80s heart-break ballad. Everything about this song screams 80s, except there is a 60s hippie guitar that accompanies her soaring vocals. There's no doubt that MØ's going to go far with all of this flawless music she keeps giving us. Can't wait for the EP!

Monday, September 23, 2013

IT HAPPENED! LORDE'S DEBUT ALBUM IS HERE! Yes, we have so much excitement about this release. It is probably one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2013 and after listening to it all we can say is "WOW!" Coming to us from New Zealand, 16 year old Ella Yelich-O'Connor, gives us the perfect inside view of the mind of a teenager. With an an almost playful yet haunting sound here lyrics are beyond mature for her age. One of our favorite songs on the album is "Ribs". The song captures the feelings of growing older and how when reality hits you its scary as hell. We are just amazed at how speechless we are by this entire album. This is literally the album of 2013 and the album defining the current generation. Dark yet perfect. All we can say is take a listen for yourself and prepare to feel so many emotions about Lorde.

For some reason Australia has been a major power house in giving the world great pop music in the past month, and once again we bring you Snakadaktal all the way from Australia. Snakadaktal's song "Fall Underneath" is perfect for chilling out by a lake in the middle of the woods. Imagine HAERTS had a babay with Postiljonen; Giving us the indie sound of Brooklyn and the perfect pop sound of Sweden. So those two genres combined equal Australian pop? Either way Snakadaktal is absolutely someone you should have on your radar with their debut LP Sleep In The Water out now!

This past year has been all about Imagine Dragons with the hard rock mixed with synths, but now 2013 is bringing a new face to the scene. Gentlemen Hall, brought to our awareness by their friends Magic Man, give us something similar to Imagine Dragons, while capturing the angst of AWOLNATION's "Sail". Reminding us that every day we wake up and we have so much shit to do, this is perfect for Monday. Everyone get on board; Struggle bus is leaving with a new theme song!

Friday, September 20, 2013

Bear's Den comes to us from the UK and they give us this raw sound that we absolutely love. In there song "Sahara" we get the feeling of almost a Mumford and Sons song, except with a rock feel. The lyrics have the folk feel, but their instrumentals scream easy rock giving us this perfect combination. They have been touring Europe this summer, playing the festival circuit over there, but they have so much potential to cross over here in the US, which they are working on by giving us show show dates this fall. Check out their page for dates near you.

Arthur Beatrice has been working the music scene for about 2 years and now they are finally make some head way with their EP released earlier this summer and now with their new song "Grand Union". Almost like the British cousins of Of Monsters and Men and London Grammar, Arthur Beatrice give us haunting lyrics with perfect melodies that scream indie pop. The words "You're becoming someone else's tongue, coughing up blood" makes us cringe, but the words have so much meaning with the darkness they bring.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

We've been meaning to write about Black Light Dinner Party for quite some time, but we never felt like it was the right time. Well, that time has come with their album coming out next week! The electronic goodness and the indie rock sound come together perfectly on their single "Sons and Lovers". Their sound is almost as if X Ambassadors and Lovelife had a child together. The unique lyrics and the rock influence makes Black Light Dinner Party have so much potential to break the scene. We can't see where the release of their album brings them.

Last night things got crazy at Le Poisson Rouge for the Tesla Boy and Goldroom show. Bringing us their electronic greatness, they made for the perfect night. There was a lot of dancing and drinking and everyone having a good time.
First, I would just like to say how great of a venue Le Poisson Rouge is for a show like this because unlike Terminal 5 or the Bower, the stage is low enough where you feel 10x closer to the artist playing. Yes it's probably only 2 feet lower than other venues, but those feet matter when you're in the front row singing your heart out.
We would also like to throw out how amazed we were by Tesla Boy. We had never heard of them before until this show was announced by Neon Gold and Pop Gun. We sat down and listened to their music and we liked it a lot. When we actually saw them live, well, we were amazed. Tesla Boy, coming to us from Moscow, did what any Russian would do when entering: They played a Russian sounding orchestra piece, which immediately went into their electronic music once it was done. Tesla Boy reminded us so much of the 70s and 80s in the best way possible. Giving us that synthy goodness and the emotion in their music we felt like were in NYC in the 80s exploring the underground music scene. Tesla Boy put on a phenomenal performance. We would highly recommend seeing them again.

After Tesla Boy, Goldroom graced us with their presence. Dropping their latest EP Embrace over a week ago, they have been touring the US for about a week. Giving us all the music we love off of the EP, they of course played Embrace which was executed with perfection. One of the highlights to us of their performance was a crazy cover of Charlie XCX's "You (Ha Ha Ha). Goldroom's live vocalist gave this song so much perfection! Congrats guys on an amazing show! Be sure to check out Goldroom and Tesla Boy to see where they will be playing near you.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Tiger Town has been around for a while now and their song "What You Came Here For" has for some reason been off our radar for quite some time. Under any case, Tiger Town came by us unannounced and we fell in love instantly. Giving us the perfect synths of St. Lucia, they give us the folky feel of Of Monsters and Men along with the hipstery vibe of Little Daylight. Everything about "What You Came Here For" makes for the perfect pop song and we are happy to say that Tiger Town will be at CMJ this year! Along with this, they have been confirmed to be working with NYU Steinhardt's Music Business program for their A&R class called Village Records. The students are excited to be working with such a great band on their record project. We can't wait to see what these Aussies have in store for us with their big jump across the Pacific.

We wrote about ODESZA earlier this month with their song "My Friends Never Die", and now they are back with their full length EP. Giving us more of the crazy dance music, we love everything they have done with this. Our favorite song is "If There's Time". It has this laid back beat that makes us want to chill while doing a slow head bang. The EP continues with excellently crafted songs, one even featuring samples of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know". We hope that this EP isn't the stopping point for ODESZA. Perhaps an LP in the near future?

We wanted to take a step back again from our typical electro indie pop music that we typically cover and take things a little slower. Today, we bring you Louis Baker, from New Zealand, who's acoustic, soulful goodness would make any girl cry. Reminding us of James Ezra, who we wrote about last week, we can't help but eat continue on this path of singer songwriters that we keep coming across. Starting off slow Louis picks up the beat a little bit making the sound exciting, but still relaxing. The strings compliment his acoustic guitar sound perfectly and it is with this that we are certain that you are in love with him already.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Our Swedish Pop Princesses Icona Pop are finally releasing their long awaited album next week and we have never been more excited. We previewed their album over at Pitchfork and here's what we think about it.
The album starts of strong with their classic hit "I Love It", almost like a reminder of why we love them and all over their girl power! It almost makes us want to actually try driving a car into a bridge just to let anger out one day.
Next, they give us their latest single "All Night" which reminds us that no matter what we can literally do anything! We've always said that this song absolutely has major influences from "I Love It", but over the past couple of months since its release we have fallen in love with it. It's a song we would want as the soundtrack to any night out.
The girls remind us on their third track that nothing is going to stop them in their conquest to dominate the music scene with their song "We've Got The World. Powering together these girls have stormed the charts the past year and this song clearly shows how determined they were. Their girl power proved to pay off. These girls really do have the world!
The girls show their crazy party animals in their song "Ready For The Weekend". This song was featured on their EP they released last year, but was one of the highlights for us off of it. We are happy that this made the cut for the album.
We've all heard the story of how Icona Pop met, basically over a terrible break up, meeting each other at a party, and taking the anger of that break up to make music together. Through this this they must have released that all they really needed was each other which leads us to their song "Girlfriend". Basically telling everyone all you need in life to be happy is really great friends!
We all heard the Galaxy Remix of their song "In The Stars", but on the studio version these girls channel the 80s rock divas. Giving us this sick 80s beat, we get this phenomenal guitar sound that makes these dance queens rock goddesses.
"On A Roll" continues with this rock influenced turn the album takes on "In The Stars". We love this song because there is so much attitude and the girls aren't afraid to remind us that they are rockstars. Definitely a jam for the car with friends.
On "Just Another Night" we finally get a slower tempo song that really show cases each of the girls individual voices. Giving us this sincere feeling of sadness about a breakup we fall more in love with their pain. There is absolutely a huge ABBA influence on this song and it was the perfect way to go.
The girls start closing the album with "Hold On" and clearly makes us want to hold onto this album. Giving us that ABBA influence again, Icona Pop pleads for their love to not let it go. We feel the production on this song is a little anticlimactic, but it's still a great pop song.
We finally get a taste of something similar to Icona Pop's "Manners" with their song "Light Me Up". Giving us the relaxed grooving beat the girls channel their roots. We love how they are channeling so many different things so far on their album.
The album ends with a song that we have loved ever since we heard them play it at Lollapalooza. "Then We Kiss" is the perfect pop rock dance song that reminds everyone of those crazy nights at the bar when you just want to make out with someone. It's the perfect way to end the album. Way to go girls! You gave us everything we asked for on this album.Click Here to Preview The Album
Icona Pop will be finishing their US tour at the end of this month and then will be heading back to Europe to tour. Most shows are sold out, but we are going to their NYC show on Friday so expect a full review of their show with pics on Monday!

The Analog Affair has just released their third EP and we are loving it. Their first single off of the new EP, "Fast Hearts" pulled us in on first listen. Giving us the quirky oriental synths of Little Daylight and Purity Ring we get a sense of playfulness. The lyrics remind us of The Chain Gang of 1974's "Miko". Their sound is synthetic yet refreshing giving us something we haven't heard in a while. If you like their first single head over to their Bandcamp page and download the EP for free!

Julian Maverick is no new name to disco, but is slowly making a name for himself with his energetic dance beats. Maverick first come onto the radar with his song "Spaceships", but he's back with his new song "Good For Me". Maverick's new song makes you want to get out on the dance floor and let you're heart sing! Giving us a mix of Germans and Goldroom, we fell in love instantly with sound. Hopefully Julian will be gracing us with more sick tracks or potentially an EP in the near future.

The time has finally come where NYU band With Snack finally has released recorded music. Having done exceptionally well at NYU's UVL talent show (which is known best for Lady Gaga coming in second when she actually when there), they have been performing all over NYC this spring and summer. Fall has finally come and with it they bring us their single Forever. We love how this group brings together the perfect combination of jazz and pop, almost better than Michael Bublé. Every element from the vocals to the trumpet to the overall feel of the song makes us keep listening. (BTW check out their promotions. We love the band member photos with snacks!) Take a listen below and be on the look out for these guys!

Monday, September 16, 2013

Friday was a huge day for music with one of the big announcements being Alex Winston's release of her latest single "101 Vultures". Her new song continues the trend of moody indie pop rock music that was present on her song "Guts". Her lyrics, always being somewhat alarmingly dark, make the song so real. Our favorite line being "a sea of motherfucks" just adds the attitude that makes us love Alex Winston and her music. Dark and eery, but perfect pop for this fall.

ASTR has done it again! After giving us "Operate" earlier this year, they are back with their new song "R U With Me". With the production stylings of Goldroom we find ourselves blasting this louder and louder. There's something small that reminds us of French Horn Rebellion and we are 100% certain that this is what makes this song 10x better. With the perfect pop vocals on this track we literally cannot wait for a full EP of pumping songs.

On Friday we got the opportunity to attend Betty Who's sold out show at the Brooklyn Knitting Factory and basically we have come to the conclusion that Betty Who is a pop Goddess! The line up for the night included Future Screens and Joywave (who we have been dying to see for years). First, this was the best venue for Betty Who to play at because it has such an intimate vibe. Big enough to fit a large crowd, but small enough that anyone standing in the back of the crowd and can still feel like they are close enough to the performing.
The night started off with the Future Screens and we are happy that they did start the night off. Giving us a electronic dream pop sound we instantly knew that these guys should be on our radar!

After Future Screens played their set, Joywave came on and put on quite the show. With every song being so danceable everyone was having a good time. Joywave has been on our radar of bands to see and we couldn't be more happy to have been able to see them at the same time as Betty Who.

Finally, the moment we all were waiting for , Betty Who graced us with her presence! She started her set out strong with her hit song "You're In Love". The night got even hotter when she started treating the audience to new songs, specifically her newest single, which is yet to be released, "Heartbreak Dream". She told the audience that the song was about that moment when you are in between loving someone and not being in love with them. The song itself was some of the greatest works we've heard from Betty, giving us more pop perfection.

The most exciting part of our night was getting to meet Betty Who after the show. She is literally one of the nicest people we have ever met. Being so friendly and caring she wanted to meet everyone she could that came out to the show to support her. When we met her we chatted for a bit and then did a little dance with each other and then let her continue meeting other fans. Betty Who you rock! We know you're gonna go far!

Friday, September 13, 2013

Lovelife has been providing us with new music all throughout the summer and now that fall has come they are still at it. Yesterday, they released their new single "Exhaler". This pop perfection song channels the vocal sounds of Smallpools moodiness while taking transcending synth sound of Jaymes Young. This is the perfect song to blast late at night in the car alone and just sing your heart out to. Lovelife will be dropping their EP Stateless on October 1st and we are so excited. Lovelife is touring with The Neighborhood this fall, so if you're looking for a show to go to we highly suggest buying a ticket for Lovelife.

The New York native band Phantogram is back with new music. Their last release was back in 2011 with an EP, but with this new song, "Black Out Days", may be an indication of more music to come. Almost giving us a chorus that reminds of M.I.A. we also get a perfect vocals that make us want to cry, almost like Laurel. Phantogram has been slowly working their way into big things in the music industry and we feel if "Black Out Days" is first single off of an upcoming LP, then expect a major takeover by Phantogram.